, Author at Lewiston Sun Journal

Jessica Lowell Kennebec Journal

Jessica Lowell covers business and economic development and general news in the Gardiner area. After short but intense aspirations to be an opera singer (age 4) and a deep-sea diver (age 6) her most enduring passion has been telling stories. A University of Maine graduate, she worked for newspapers in New Hampshire, upstate New York and Wyoming, where she has won awards for investigative and explanatory journalism. She’s a fellow of the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism and the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources. After several years out of journalism, she returned to Maine and to writing, where she spends her free time enjoying both trees and the ocean, two commodities that Wyoming lacks.

Latest

Published
December 10, 2020

Richmond woman died of acute intoxication, authorities say

Robin Bowler, who with Dana Shulman was found dead in their Richmond apartment in early November, had taken several illegal drugs and one used to treat depression, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Published
December 1, 2020

Fate of Kennebec County’s Melville Fuller statue debated

A public hearing Tuesday draws a wide range of comments and suggestions about the statue honoring the former chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who presided over the court when the “separate but equal” doctrine was enshrined into U.S. law, paving the way for decades of racial segregation.
Published
November 18, 2020

Maine officials hoping federal relief efforts will help state

The director of the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future stressed the importance of continuing to focus on economic growth even as Maine struggles with widespread COVID-19 infections.
Published
November 17, 2020

Readfield man turns historic interest and creativity into a card game

For years, David Matson has been toying with developing a game around gladiator fights. With some time on his hands this year, the Readfield man has been able to perfect the game that others may have a chance to enjoy.
Published
November 12, 2020

As COVID-19 continues to spread, who enforces mask mandates in central Maine?

Local officials continue to rely on education and voluntary compliance with public health orders to wear face coverings, even as rallies against wearing masks continue.
Published
November 11, 2020

Public hearing set on Augusta’s Melville Fuller statue

During a year when statues and monuments tied to the United States’ racist past are being taken down or removed, the state’s judicial branch is asking Kennebec County officials to consider moving statue of Maine judge involved in “separate but equal’ ruling.”
Published
November 2, 2020

Gardiner bridge shift set to begin

Sometime this week, Reed & Reed is expected to shift a prefabricated bridge deck into place over Cobbosseecontee Stream, replacing the decades-old bridge that was demolished last week.
Published
October 16, 2020

Gardiner attorney under suspension named in lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted client

The woman is one of two who filed complaints with the Board of Overseers of the Bar that led to the suspension of Clarence Spurling’s law license in September.
Published
October 11, 2020

Gardiner’s Swine & Stein pivots to a take-home model for annual celebration

The move comes as a way to observe the popular, annual celebration at a time when public gatherings have been limited because of COVID-19.
Published
October 8, 2020

Search continues for three sought in central Maine car chase

Two schools in Litchfield were briefly put into lockout mode Thursday in an “abundance of caution,” as police continue their search for three people allegedly connected to a gunfire incident in Skowhegan.